Death in the sun

Seville Day 5

It has been our last full day in Seville, and it has been delightfully warm and sunny.  On the spur of the moment we decided to visit Seville's bull ring the Plaza de Toros, not I emphasise, to watch a bull fight, but rather to take a guided tour.  Neither of us is comfortable with the cruelty involved in a bullfight, even a modern one where (on rare occasions) the bull is "pardoned" and gets to retire.  This is Spain's oldest bull ring dating back to 1749.

It was certainly interesting to learn of the link between knights practicing their martial prowess in tournaments, that gradually morphed into what became the art of fighting bulls on foot as a form of entertainment. The reference to the bread and circuses of historic Rome did not pass us by. 

We have both read Hemmingway in our youth.  In Cordoba a few years ago we visited their museum of bull fighting which featured a fascinating black and white film of a matador getting dressed for the fight. The tension involved in that process was palpable.  The skill, dedication and bravery of the matador is undoubtedly immense.  But none of that gets us over the cruelty experienced by the bull.

In the first of my extras, there is a shot of a rather entertaining fountain that we came across in the park that surrounds the Plaza de Espana.  The frogs squirting water at the surprised looking goose in the middle of the fountain made us smile.  I'm not aware if this is a reference to a Spanish children's story that we are not familiar with?  My final extra is yet another shot of the Plaza de Espana.